Automatic regulator for electric generators.



PATENTED MAY 24, 1904. W. A. TURBAY NB. I AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1903. .INO MODEL.

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No. 760,713. A v PATENTED MAY 24, 1904.

W. A. TURBAYNE.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

' APPLIOATION FILED BBPT.-8,1903.

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No. 760,713. PATENTED MAY 24, 1904. W. A. TURBAYNE.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 8,1903.

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, UNITED STATES Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. GOULD,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR FOR ELECTRIC GENERATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 760,713, dated May 24, 1904.

7 Application filed September 8, 1903- $erial No. 172,312. (No model.)

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Regulators for Electric Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic regu-- lator for electric generators, and is more par tlcularly directed to improvements in the regulator described in United States Letters Patent No. 732,238, granted to me June 30, 1903, in connection with an electric-lighting apparatus for railway-cars in which the electric current is generated by a dynamo driven from one of the car-axles by a belt or the like. As the speed of the car-axle has a considerable range of variation in ordinary use of the car, it is desirable in order to maintain a practically constant output of the dynamo to drive its armature at a practically constant speed. in the apparatus described in said patent as follows: The dynamo is movably mounted, and an electric motor and connections are provided which shift the dynamo toward the car-axle toslacken the driving-belt, so that it will slip and decrease the speed of'the dynamoarmature when the speed of the car-axle is greater than necessary for the normal operation the dynamo, and which shift the dynamo in the opposite direction to tighten the belt and increase the speed of the dynamoarmature when the speed of the car-axle decreases to or below the speed required for the normal operation of the dynamo. A solenoid controlled by a current generated by the dynamo is provided, which operates a reversing mechanism to determine the direction in which the dynamo is shifted. The patented apparatus also embodies a limit-switch, which is automatically operated to open the motorcircuit and stop the motor before the latter can shift the dynamo in either direction to such an extent as to injure any part of the apparatus or interfere with the proper operation thereof.

One object of this invention is to provide Briefly stated, this is accomplished v 3 is a transverse section in line 3 3,"Fig. 2,

showing the shifting mechanism in end elevatlon. Flg. 4 1s a horizontal section in line .4 4, Fig. 3, showing the shifting mechanism in bottom plan. Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic view illustrating the electrical connections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the dynamo, B the driving car-axle, and 5 the driving-belt, which runs around pulleys on the car-axle and dynamoarmature shaft to drive the latter. The dynamo is hung from a carriage (1, which travels toward and from the car-axle on tracks 0, suspended below the car-bottom.

E represents a shifting screw-shaft, which preferably consists of articulated sections, one end section of which is journaled in a suitable bearing 6 and has a screw-threaded portion working in a threaded hole in a lug e on the dynamo-carriage, while the other end section 0 1s Journaled in a suitable bearing 0 1n the inclosing casing 6* for the shifting mechan' ism. The flexible screw-shaft enables the casing for the shifting mechanism to be moved relative to the dynamo to secure it in an advantageous position on the car. The exposed portion of the screw-shaft is preferably provided .with ahand-wheel 0 whereby it can be turned and the dynamo-carriage shifted by hand whenever necessary or desirable. The end section 0 of the screw-shaft has fixed thereto two ratchet-wheels F and G, Figs. 2 to 4, the teeth of which extend in opposite directions.

H represents an oscillating pawl-lever pivoted concentrically with the shifting-screw and carrying a double pawl I, which is pivoted on the pawl-lever and is provided with oppositelyprojecting noses vi, adapted to cooperate, respectively, with the ratchetwheels F and G. The pawl-lever is oscillated by the electric motor J, the armature-shaft of which is coupled to a shaft 7', provided with a worm j, meshing with a worm-wheel 7' which is screwed to a shaft f, provided with a crank-pin j, entering a slot i in the pawl' lever.

K represents the solenoid for shifting the double pawl to throw one or the other of its noses into engagement with the teeth of its cooperating ratchet-wheel. The core 7r; of the solenoid is connected to one arm of a lever in, the other arm of which is connected to one end of a spring 71?, fixed at its other end to the double pawl. When the solenoid-core is in its lowest position, the pawl-nosed will be in operative relation to its ratchet-wheel Ur and the nose 7: lowered out of operative position. The oscillation ofthe pawl-lever by the motor will then turn the shifting-screw to the right and move the dynamo away from the car-axle and tighten the belt. \Vhen the solenoid-core is raised to its highest position, the other nose, 7?, of the pawl will be in engagement with the teeth of its ratchet-wheel and the shifting-screw will be turned in the opposite direction and move the dynamo toward the ear-axle to slacken the belt. 'VVhen the solenoid-core is lifted only partially, or to the intermediate position shown in the drawings, both pawl-noses will be out of engagement with their ratchet-wheels and the pawl-lever will oscillate without operating the shiftingscrew.

- L, Fig. 1, represents the limit-switch,which may be of any suitable construction and is located adjacent to the dynamo-carriage in the path of two trip devices Z Z, movable with the dynamo-carriage. The switch-lever normally engages a contact Z and closes the motor-circuit. WVhen the dynamo-carriage is shifted far enough in either direction for one of the trip devices to strike the switch, it is moved out of engagement with the contact Z and opens the motor-circuit.

The electrical circuits for energizing the solenoid-coil and operating the motor are controlled by a centrifugal governor on the dynamoshaft, which operates cut-outs, as presently described. These parts are shown in the diagrammatic View, Fig. 5, and are as follows: M represents the centrifugal governor, and M a movable switch-arm operated by the governor and provided with switch-blades m m. a a 92/ a a are contact-plates arranged opposite to the switch-blades m 921/. O represents the lamps or other translating devices, and P the storage battery for maintaining the lights when the dynamo is out of action or is not running at a suflicient speed for the desired voltage. WVhen the dynamo-shaft reaches a predetermined desired speed, the centrifugal governor is operated to move the switch-blade m against the contacts 12/ w, which project nearer to the switch-arm than the other contacts. The battery-current then flows from the positive pole of the battery through wire (1, contact 9), switch-blade on, contact a, field-winding A of the dynamo, wire q, and coil of the solenoid K back to the negative pole of the battery. The dynamo-field is thus energized, and the dynamo generates a current which flows from the positive brush of the dynamo through the motor-circuit 'r 9*, motor J, and limit-switch L back to the negative brush of the dynamo. This current drives the motor which oscillates the pawl-lever, and the nose of the pawl'being in engagement with its ratchetwheel Gr rotates the shifting-screw to the right and moves the dynamo away from the car-axle and tightens the belt. The speed of the dynamo-shaft is then quickened sufficiently and the centrifugal governor throws the switch-blades on the switch-arm into contact with all of the contact-plates. The current generated by the dynamo then flows from the positive brush of the dynamo through contact 92 switch-blade on, contact n", wire to the battery and lights, and back through the coil of the solenoid K, wire 9, contact 91 switch-blade m, contact a" to the negative brush of the dynamo. Current also flows through the motor-circuit, as before described, and from the'positive brush through contact 12?, switch-blade m, contact 12, field A of the dynamo, wire (1, contact a, switch-blade on, contact w back to negative brush of the dynamo. When the dynamo-shaft attains the desired normal speed, the strength of the current passing through the solenoid-coil is sufficient to raise the core until both noses of the pawl are out of operative relation with their ratchetwheels, as indicated in the drawings. 1f the output of the dynamo is augmented by an increased speed of the car-axle and dynamoshaft beyond what is necessary for the load on the work-circuit, the energization of the solenoid is increased and its core is caused to move high enough to throw the nose 7' of the pawl up into operative relation with its ratchet-wheel. The shifting-screw is then retated to the left and the dynamo shifted toward the car-axle, so as to slacken the belt and permit it to slip, thus decreasing the speed of the dynamo-shaft and the output of the dynamo to the normal.

The parts thus far described are substantially the same in construction and perform the same functions as the correspondingparts in said patented apparatus.

In case it is necessary or desirable for any reason to shift the dynamo by hand the screwshaft is turned in the proper direction by the hand-wheel 0 If either nose of the double pawl Iis in engagement with its ratchetwheel on the screw-shaft, the'latter is held from turning in one direction. As the shifting mechanism is inclosed, the following device is preferably employed for moving the pawl to the neutral position, in which both of its noses are inoperative. S, Figs. 1 to 3, represents a releasing device or rod which projects out through a guide-hole in the bottom of the inclosing casing for the shifting mechanism below the solenoid-core. When the releasing device or rod is raised, it strikes and lifts the solenoid-core and through the lever in and spring ls moves the pawl to the neutral position. The shifting screw-shaft is thus released and can be turned by hand to shift the dynamo to the desired position. The releasing-rod is preferably provided with heads or enlargements s at its opposite ends, which prevent its disengagement from its bearing-opening, the outer head also constituting a knob or handle. Any other suitable means may be employed for releasing the pawl, and, if preferred,the releasing device can be connected to operating means located in the car.

In the patented apparatus referred to a hand-operated circuit-closer is provided for closing the motor-circuit after the car has moved slowly for a suflicient length of time to operate the limit-switch and open the motor-circuit. In the apparatus herein described the motor-circuit is closed automatically, as follows: T T, Figs. 2, 4, and 5, represent two contact-pieces, of carbon or other suitable material, connected to yielding or movable arms t and included in a shunt z." t of the motorcircuit. The contact-pieces are normally separated, so that the shunt is open when the limit-switch and motor-circuit are closed. U is an actuating device connected to and operated by the solenoid-core and adapted to engage one of the contact-pieces T T and move it against the other contact-piece to close the motor-circuit through the shunt. The actuating device is made of insulating material or is insulated from the solenoid-core and is so positioned that the motor-circuit is closed when the current in the work-circuit has reached a predetermined value and raised the solenoid-core. As the contact-pieces are carried by yielding arms, they do not interfere with the free movement of the solenoid-core. A device of any other suitable construction can be employed for this purpose.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable relative to said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, automatic mechanism for causing the relative movement of the generator, a manually-movable device for rendering said automatic mechanism inoperative, and meansfor performing manually said relative movement of the generator, substantially as set forth.

,2. The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable relative to said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element andthe generator, automatic mechanism for causing the relative movement of the generator, a casing inclosing said automatic mechanism, and a device extending outside of said inclosing casing for rendering said automatic mechanism inoperative, and means for moving said generator manually, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a driving element having a Variable speed, a generator movable relative to :said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, automatic mechanism for causing the relative movement of the generator, a casing inclosing said mechanism, a shaft actuated by said antomatic mechanism and extending out of said casing and connected with said generator, means for moving said shaft manually, and a device extending outside of said casing for rendering said automatic mechanism inoperative, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a'driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable toward and from said driving element, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, automatic mechanism including a ratchet and pawl for moving said generator, and manually-operable means for moving said pawl to inoperative position, and means for manually moving the generator, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable toward and from said driving element, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, mechanism including a ratchet and pawl for moving said generator, a solenoid controlling said pawl, means for operating said solenoid-core to release said pawl, and means for manually moving the generator, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable relative to said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, electrically-controlled mechanism for causing the relative movement of said generator, means for opening the controlling-circuit to limit the relative movement of the generator, and electrically-operated means for closing said controlling-circuit, substantially as set forth. i

7 The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable relative to said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator,

electrically-operated mechanism for causing the relative movement of the generator, electromagnetic means controlling said mechanism, means for breaking the operating-circuit to limit the movement of the generator, and a circuit-closer operated by said electromagnetic means for closing the operating-circuit, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination of a driving element having a variable speed, a generator movable relative to said driving element to vary the speed of the generator, a drive connection between said driving element and the generator, 

